Darwinia acerosa

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Darwinia acerosa
Darwinia acerosa.jpg
In the Australian National Botanic Gardens
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Darwinia
Species:
D. acerosa
Binomial name
Darwinia acerosa
Darwinia acerosaDistMap1.png
Occurrence data from AVH
Foliage in Kings Park, Perth DarwiniaAcerosa PerthBG-20171224b.jpg
Foliage in Kings Park, Perth

Darwinia acerosa, commonly known as the fine-leaved darwinia, [2] is a plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae and is endemic to a small area in south-west of Western Australia. It is a densely branched, heath-like shrub with crowded, finely pointed leaves and drooping heads of forty to fifty yellowish-green flowers.

Contents

Description

Darwinia acerosa is a spreading, densely-branched, heath-like shrub with whitish branches which grows to a height of 30–50 centimetres (10–20 in). It has crowded, finely-pointed leaves which are about 1 centimetre (0.4 in) long, 1 millimetre (0.04 in) wide, triangular in cross-section and often have a hooked tip. The flowers are arranged in drooping, hemispherical heads of 40 to 50 greenish-yellow flowers. The heads are about 1.5 centimetres (0.6 in) in diameter and are surrounded by rows of green bracts that are longer than the flowers. [3] [4]

Taxonomy

The first formal description of Darwinia acerosa was published by William Vincent Fitzgerald in 1904 in the Journal of the West Australian Natural History Society from specimens he collected near Mogumber in 1903. [5] The specific epithet (acerosa) means "needle-shaped". [6]

Distribution and habitat

This darwinia is only known from three populations in the Mogumber area and four in the Perth area, totalling about five thousand plants. It grows in scrub and heath on and around granite outcrops. [4] [2]

Conservation

Darwinia acerosa is classified as "Threatened Flora (Declared Rare Flora — Extant)" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife [2] is also listed as "Endangered" (EN) under the Australian Government Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). The main threats to its survival are dieback caused by Phytophthora cinnamomi , weed invasion, grazing and frequent fires. [4]

Related Research Articles

<i>Darwinia</i> (plant) Genus of flowering plants

Darwinia, sometimes commonly known as mountain bells or simply bells, is a genus of about 70 species of evergreen shrubs in the family Myrtaceae, endemic to southeastern and southwestern Australia. The majority are native to southern Western Australia, but a few species occur in South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria. The genus was named in honour of Erasmus Darwin, grandfather of Charles Darwin by Edward Rudge in 1816. Most darwinias grow to a height of between 0.2 and 3 m, and many are prostrate shrubs. Most have small, simple leaves and the flowers are often grouped together, each flower with five red, white or greenish petals and ten stamens. In many species, the flowers are surrounded by large, colourful bracts, giving rise to their common names.

<i>Banksia mimica</i> Species of shrub in Western Australia

Banksia mimica, commonly known as summer honeypot, is a species of prostrate shrub that is endemic to Western Australia. It has wedge-shaped leaves with sharply-pointed teeth on the sides, yellow flowers in heads of up to fifty and oblong, hairy follicles.

<i>Verticordia acerosa</i> Species of flowering plant

Verticordia acerosa is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with yellow flowers which change colour through red to almost black as they age. There are two varieties which vary in their leaf shape, their flower colour and some of the structures in the flower.

Verticordia crebra, commonly known as Barrens featherflower, crowded featherflower or Twertup featherflower, is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a sprawling shrub with crowded, cylinder-shaped leaves with small, yellow flowers that are almost hidden by the leaves but with a style which extends well beyond the petals. The plant looks superficially like a miniature pine tree.

Verticordia verticordina is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to a small area near the coast of the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small, low-growing shrub with crowded leaves and in spring, scattered pale greenish-cream and golden brown flowers. Its unusual flowers and fleshy leaves give the plant a superficial resemblance to a Darwinia.

<i>Verticordia spicata</i> Species of flowering plant

Verticordia spicata, commonly known as spiked featherflower, is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is usually a dense, bushy shrub with small leaves pressed against the stem and spikes of pink flowers from late spring to early summer.

Adenanthos dobagii, commonly known as Fitzgerald woollybush, is a shrub in the family Proteaceae. It grows to a mere 50 cm high, with crowded small silvery leaves and insignificant pink or cream flowers. It occurs only in southwestern Australia, where it is found in Fitzgerald River National Park on the south coast.

<i>Hakea commutata</i> Species of shrub in the family Proteaceae native to Western Australia

Hakea commutata is a shrub in the family Proteaceae native to Western Australia. A variable species in shape and growing requirements, including mallee heath, sand and along creek lines.

<i>Darwinia collina</i> Species of flowering plant

Darwinia collina, commonly known as the yellow mountain bell, is a plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae. It grows as an erect shrub 0.3–1.2 metres (1–4 ft) high with crowded elliptical leaves and bright yellow flower-like inflorescences. It is endemic to a few small areas in the Stirling Range National Park, Western Australia and as a result is classified as an endangered species.

<i>Darwinia oxylepis</i> Species of flowering plant

Darwinia oxylepis, commonly known as Gillham's bell, is a plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae. It grows as a dense, upright shrub 1.0–1.5 m (3.3–4.9 ft) high, and produces large numbers of red inflorescences prominently displayed on the ends of the branchlets in spring. It is one of a group of Darwinias including D. leiostyla, D. macrostegia, D. meeboldii, D. collina and D. squarrosa collectively known as mountain bells. The species is found in only a few seasonally moist gullies near the lower slopes of the Stirling Range National Park and nearby Porongurup National Park and is therefore classified as endangered.

Persoonia pungens is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect to spreading or low-lying shrub with densely hairy young branchlets, twisted elliptic to oblong, sharply-pointed leaves, and glabrous, bright yellow flowers borne in groups of up to five.

<i>Eremophila pterocarpa</i> Species of flowering plant

Eremophila pterocarpa, commonly known as silver poverty bush or winged-fruited eremophila, is a plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a densely foliaged, upright shrub with most of its parts covered with a silvery powder.

Verticordia pityrhops, commonly known as East Mount Barren featherflower or pine-like featherflower, is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a single-stemmed shrub which is densely-branched with crowded narrow linear leaves giving the impression of a miniature pine tree. When it flowers in autumn, the shrub is completely covered with masses of very small, honey-scented, pinkish-purple flowers.

<i>Darwinia apiculata</i> Species of flowering plant

Darwinia apiculata, commonly known as the scarp darwinia, is a plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae and is endemic to a small area in Western Australia. It is a rounded, densely branched, small shrub with thin red branches and scattered small leaves. The flowers are arranged in small groups on the ends of the branches, their most obvious feature being long, red, pointed bracts surrounding each flower and a longer red style with scattered hairs near its tip.

<i>Darwinia carnea</i> Species of flowering plant

Darwinia carnea, commonly known as Mogumber bell or Narrogin bell, is a species of flowering plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small shrub with narrow, keeled leaves and flowers in groups of about eight, surrounded by yellowish-green to pinkish-red bracteoles. It occurs in small, isolated populations near the towns which contribute to its common names. It is the only "bell-flowered" Darwinia to not grow in the Stirling Range National Park.

<i>Darwinia chapmaniana</i> Species of flowering plant

Darwinia chapmaniana, commonly known as Chapman's bell or Eganu bell, is a plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae, and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a low, rounded, spreading shrub with greyish, hairy leaves and flowers in heads of about 14 small, tubular flowers. The heads are surrounded by long, reddish-yellow, hairy bracts.

<i>Darwinia ferricola</i> Species of flowering plant

Darwinia ferricola, commonly known as the Scott River darwinia, is a plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae and is endemic to a small area in Western Australia. It is a rounded, densely branched shrub with crowded, linear leaves mostly only on younger branches. The flowers are greenish-yellow and red, and arranged in groups on the ends of the branches, with a long white or reddish style protruding from the petal tube.

<i>Darwinia whicherensis</i> Species of flowering plant

Darwinia whicherensis, commonly known as the Abba bell, is a plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small shrub with linear leaves and bell-shaped, flower-like inflorescences containing more than twenty flowers surrounded by bracts, the largest of which are red with green edges.

<i>Hibbertia acerosa</i> Species of flowering plant

Hibbertia acerosa, commonly known as needle leaved guinea flower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Dilleniaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a low, spreading or ascending shrub typically growing to a height of 10–60 cm (3.9–23.6 in) and has yellow flowers from July to December or from January to February.

Lasiopetalum angustifolium, commonly known as narrow leaved lasiopetalum, is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to coastal areas of south-western Western Australia. It is a low spreading or dense, compact shrub with narrowly egg-shaped to narrowly elliptic leaves and compact groups of pink to purplish flowers.

References

  1. "Darwinia acerosa". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 "Darwinia acerosa". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  3. Fitzgerald, William Vincent (1904). "Additions to the West Australian flora". Journal of the West Australian Natural History Society. 2 (1): 17. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 "Approved Conservation Advice for Darwinia acerosa (Fine-leaved Darwinia)" (PDF). Government of Australia Department of the Environment. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
  5. "Darwinia acerosa". APNI. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
  6. Sharr, Francis Aubi; George, Alex (2019). Western Australian Plant Names and Their Meanings (3rd ed.). Kardinya, WA: Four Gables Press. p. 126. ISBN   9780958034180.